Alexis Avila, the 18-year-old teen mom who threw her newborn into a dumpster in January, has been denied supervised visitation with her child.
According to a KRQE News 13 video report, New Mexico Fifth District Court Judge William Shoobridge on Monday, April 26, denied Avila her request to see the infant.
About herself Avila says in the video, “I know people portray me as a terrible person. In reality, I am not. I am kind, loving and caring,” She also said that she has been taking parenting classes and now wants to “help care” for the child and develop a “relationship” with him.
In her motion Avila asked Judge Shoobridge to grant her “supervised contact” with the boy.
The child, a boy, now lives with his father and his father’s family.
State Opposes Request
The State of New Mexico opposed Avila’s request at Monday’s hearing. Acknowledging that it is positive that Avila is taking parenting classes, the state argued that Avila needs to do more. Judge Shoobridge agreed.
Judge Shoobridge states in the KRQE News video, “It was only four months ago that you placed your son in a trash bag on a frigid day and by your own admission and by video evidence threw him into a dumpster. This case is not just about you, and even when you go to family court, it’s about what’s in the best interest of your child. But that’s for another day.”
One positive outgrowth of Monday’s hearing for Avila is that Judge Shoobridge granted her the right to go into the backyard of her home, where she remains on house arrest. Since being on house arrest, Avila has been unable to leave the interior of her home.
Charges
Availa is charged with Child Abuse Resulting in Great Bodily Injury. According to the KRQE news video report of April 26, the alternative of charging her with Attempted Murder will be left in the hands of a jury to decide. This information conflicts with details earlier presented in a Hobbs Police Department and Hobbs Fire Department joint press conference of January 10 regarding the charges Avila faces.
Education is Necessary
New Mexico’s Safe Haven Infants Act is on the books to protect parents and, also, unwanted infants. According to the state’s Department of Health, the purpose of the act is to protect parents from criminal prosecution should they want to give up a child. Parents may leave a child at a “safe haven” site with in 90 days of its birth, with the caveat that no child abuse or neglect has taken place prior to the infant’s relinquishment.
New Mexico legislators are, additionally, considering funding “baby boxes” to be installed in all of the state’s 33 counties. “The proposal comes in response to a recent case in Hobbs, where police say an 18-year-old woman abandoned her baby in a dumpster,” states an article posted at KRQE.com.
Area resident Madison McNay states on the Hobbs Police Department’s Facebook page about the incident involving Avila and about the circumstances around it, “…she [Avila] was a baby having a baby. Most teenagers don’t know of safe drop offs as sad as it is 🙁 we need to educate our kids and young women better!!
